Planting-machine.



No. 845,485. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. E. C. SMITH.

f PLANTING MACHINE.4

APPLIOATION FILE-D AUG. 3.1, 190s.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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' E. G. SMITH.

PLANNING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

ERNEST lC. SMITH, OF HINCKLEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROCK ISLAND PLOW COMPANY, OF 4ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS, A `CORPORATION OF- ILLINOIS.

Nas-15,485.

PLANUNG-MACHINE.

.t Patented Feb. 26,1907.' 'A

` Y Application filed August (il, 1906. Serial No. 332,848.

citizenof the United States, and a residentl of Hinckley, county of Kendall, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Planting-Machines, of

which the following is a specification, andwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, formingapart thereof.

The invention relates .to planting-machines in which there is provided a seed-dropping mechanism having an intermittent movement/and adapted to deposit a predetermined quantity of seed at intervals as the machinepasses over the ground to be treated. The object of the invention is to provide in such a machine adjustable means for determining'the quantity of seed to. be deliverered at each movement of the dropping mechanism- Machines of the type -described may be employed `for planting corn in hills, and when intended for thatl use, as heretofore Jconstructed, comprise a seed-hopper and dropping mechanism including a rotatable seed-plate having a plurality of cells, each adapted to receive a deiinitequantity of seed (usually,a single kernel) from the hopper and to deliver it when the plate is turned to a;

suitable discharge-spout. The'spout is commonly valved in order that a number of [turning the seed-plate, `and to insure *thel seeds may be collected therein and deposited simultaneously at a given point` on the ground bytemporarily opening the valve.

Means are provided for intermittently same number of seeds being deliveredto the Y spout, at each movementof the 'plate this" vldrivingmechanism includesaclutch adapted tobe automatically disengaged when vthe rotating members of which it forms a part have Y turned through a definite angular distance-.

for example, one complete revolution. fThe clutch and the valve'hof the seed-delivery .chines of this type iste' spout arecommonly operatedby means of a check-row Wire stretched across the -eld and having'a plurality of tappets arrangedthereon, the tappets being consecutively engaged by a suitable tripping `mechanism carried by the machine' A The preferred Anzietlguiiltot. operating maause the valve ofthe seed-delivery spout t0;

the last `preceding movement of the-{seedto discharge the seeds deliveredthereto by f .55 i plate simultaneously with the beginningfof" rotation of the seed-plate, the valve. then bei ing immediately closed to retain within'the spout torv subsequent discharge the seeds `de-4 6o By means of this construction andmethod livered by such rotation of the plate'. 5

of operation it is possible to drive the parts 'l at such a speed that the seed-plate is certain.

to have completed its movement before the" i lvalve of the delivery-spoutI is again opened, and the same number of seeds are therefore -deposited for each hill of grain planted. f It has been found desirable in some instances, however, to vary the number of seeds which Ashall be deposited for each hill, and thein-"7o vention provides improved means foreect-A ing that result. i

The invention contemplates a variablespeed driving connection between theiclutch and the `seed-dropping mechanism of planting-.machinesand is exemplified in the strucj ture to be hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is a detail plan view of a plantingmachine constructed according to the invention; and Figs; 2, 3, and 4 are detail vertical sectional views on the lines 2 2, 3 3, and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The particular form-of machine illustrated in the drawings is provided with a frame,

-includes a pair of frame members 17 18,

extending across the machine in front of the carrying-wheels for its entire width. frame-members 17 18 are united at each emi by a head 19, carrying forked arms adapted to'receivea check-row wire 20, and are con-k nected intermediate their ends byan archform bracket 21, two of which are shown, and. each of these brackets carries seed-dropping-mechanism, including a seed-plate' 22, rotatably mounted on the bracket.

4 Each oi' the seedlates 22 is provided IOO with a plurality of ce s .28: each adapted to l receive a single kernel of corn Lfrom a seedimporarily opened l hopper and to deliver it to a discharge-spout ros ' 24)a is also supported by each of the brackets V may be closed by the passage of the ,Wheel driving-shaft 27 and has a variable-speed-.

` of a trip 36, mounted onl a rock-shalt 37 and (not shown) when the plate is turned to cause the cell to pass the mouth of the spout. The seed-hopper and discharge-spout being of ordinary construction have been omitted from the drawings. A furrow-making device (shownl as taking the form of a runner 21 immediately below the seed-plate 22, and preferabiy these parts are also directly 1n front of the carrying-Wheels 14 15 morder that the furrow opened' by the runner 24 over it.

A vseries of gear-teeth 25 are formed on the under face of each ofthe seed-plates 22, and these are engaged to turn the piate by a pinion 26, fined in position on a driving-shaft 27, which, as shown, extends across the machine in order to serve both sets of dropping mechanisms and is journaledin the brackets 21.

Mechanism is provided for intermittently turning the driving-shaft 27 Preferably this comprises a clutch-disk 28,"which turns loosely on the driving-shaft and is continuously driven when the machine is in operation by means .of a sprocket-chain 29, leading from the axle 13. As shown, .the

rim ofthe clutch-disk 28 is provided with@ plurality of inwardly-directed clutch-teeth 30, and these areadapted to be intermittently engaged by an arm 3,1, having a clutch-engaging roller 32', and pivotally attached at 33 to a counter-shaft 3 A spring'35 reacts between the clutch-arm 31 and asuitable shoulder formed on the counter-shaft 34k to engage the clutch members and is normally compressed by means yieldingly heldin contact with the arm 31 by means of a spring 38, having greater elastic force than that of the spring 35. vA stop-arm 39 is also carried by the countershaft 34 and comes into engagement with the trip 36 after the latter has effected the disengagement of the clutch to bring thc parts to rest in a definite position. The rock-shaft 37 extends from side to side of the machine, being journaled at each end i f the heads 19. It carries adjacent each cnil a rocker-arm 40, having a bifurcated end 41,y adapted to be engaged by the tappets 42 of the check-rowwue 20.

The counter-shaft 34 preferably takes the form ofa sleeve inclosing a portion of the l gear connection with that shaft. As shown, this connection comprises a pinion 43,iixed. against rotation upon the counter-shaft by means of a keyway 44 formed thereon and adjustably secured in position by means of a set-nut`45, passing through its hub.A A gear 46, having a plurality of series of gear-teeth 47 of different diameters, any one of which may be engaged by the pinion 43, is rotatably `nection between the sleeve and vvclutch-disk loose on the shaft, nection between a wheel of the frame and the mounted on abracket 48,A carried by the frame members 17 18,.and has'agear connection through the bevel-pinions 49 50 with the driving-shaft 27 A pairof collars 51 52,

fixed in position on the driving-shaft, are` provided to prevent the displacement of the clutch-disk 28 and the counter-shaft or sleeve 34.

In use the seed-plates 22 Will be actuated whenever the rocker-arm 40 is swung by contact with one of the tappets 42, carried' by the check-rowwire 20, topermit theclutch members 28 and. 31 to interengage. The clutch will be automatically released,.however, and the parts brought -to rest byarengageme'nt of the trip 36 with the clutch-arm 31 and the stop 36 after the clutch-dislZS has made one complete revolution.

through a'definite angu ar distance each time the clutch is operated. Moreover, the dis- In this way both of the seed-plates 22 are turned tance through which Ithe plates turn at yeach i movement may bel adjustably controlled'by changing the position of the pinion 43V on the sleeve 34 in. order that a' different set of gearteeth` 47 on the gear 46 may be Iengaged thereby.

`I claim as my invention- 1. In a planting-machine, 1n combination, l a traction-wheel, dropping mechanism, andy connection between the traction-Wheel .and the dro ping mechanism including an automaticall) -disengaging clutch and a variable-l speed mechanism, the variable-speed mechanism being located between the clutch and the dropping mechanism.

2. JIna planting-machine, in combination, a traction-wheel, a counter-shaft, connection between the traction-wheel and the countershaft comprising an automatically-disengaging clutch, dropping mechanism, and a variab e speed gear connection between the counter-shaft and the dropping mechanism.

3. In a planting-machine, in combination, a wheeled frame, a driving-shaft for seeding mechanism journaled in the frame, a'sleeve inclosing the shaft, variable-speed-gear conthe shaft, a driving condisk, a spring-advanced clutch-arm carried by the sleeve, and a trlp movable into and out of the path of the clutch-arm.

4. In a planting-machine, in combination, a wheeled frame, a driving-shaft for seeding mechanism journaled in the frame, la counter-shaft, connection between the countershaft and a wheel of the frame comprising an automatically-disengaging clutch, a variable-speed gear, rotative connection between the variable-speed gear and the driving-shaft for seeding mechanism, and a shiftabe-gear .connection between the counter-shaft and the variable-speed gear 5. In a planting-machine, in combination,

s, Wheeled franoe, a driving-shaft for seeding shiftable-gear connectionbetween the counl 5 an automatically-disengaging clutch, a. vari- -Witnesses:

mezhansmhjougnled in the fraile, a sleeve ter-shaft and the variable-speed gear. l `ino 'osing t e s a t, connection etween the m sleeve and a Wheel'of .the frgmecpmprising ERNESL C SMITH' able-speed geen, rotative connection bet'we'en SOL HIRSCH, the variable-speed gear `andtheShaft,` and a. W. SWENssoN. 

